US warships, jets hold drills in SCS
BEIJING: Two US aircraft carrier groups, comprising dozens of warships and at least 120 fighter aircraft, conducted joint exercises in the South China Sea on Tuesday, days after an American battleship sailed near Chinesecontrolled islands in the disputed waters. China criticised the exercise as a “show of force”.
Ships and aircraft of the Theodore Roosevelt and the Nimitz carrier strike groups “coordinated operations in a highly trafficked area to demonstrate the US Navy’s ability to operate in challenging environments”, the US Navy said in a statement. “As a part of dual carrier operations, the strike groups conducted a multitude of exercises aimed at increasing interoperability between assets as well as command and control capabilities.”
The last time the US Navy conducted dual carrier operations in the South China Sea was in July 2020, when Ronald Reagan and Nimitz carrier strike groups twice operated together in the South China Sea, it added.
In Beijing, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said the frequent moves by US warships and aircraft into the South China Sea in a “show of force” was not conducive to regional peace and stability.
“China will continue to take necessary measures to firmly safeguard national sovereignty and security and work with countries in the region to firmly safeguard peace and stability in the South China Sea.”
Jimmy Lai to stay in jail
Hong Kong’s top court denied bail on Tuesday to media tycoon and Beijing critic Jimmy Lai, charged under the city’s national security law.
Lai had been in custody since December 3, except when he was released on bail for about a week late last year. The Court of Final Appeal sent him back into custody on December 31 following an appeal by the government.
NEW DELHI: Apple Inc. on Tuesday said supplier Wistron Corp. will restart operations at its factory after violence at the site led to its shutdown late last year, though the Taiwanese company would remain on probation.
Cupertino, California-based Apple, which uses Wistron to assemble its second-generation iPhone SE, said its staff and independent auditors had been working for the past eight weeks to ensure all systems and processes were in place at the factory in the Narasapura industrial area of Karnataka state.
“As Wistron begins the process of hiring team members and restarting their operations, everyone at the facility will undergo a new training program to ensure they understand their rights and how they can raise any concerns,” Apple said, adding it would continue to track progress at the factory.
The factory was shut after contract workers angry over unpaid wages destroyed property, equipment and iPhones on December 12, causing millions of dollars worth of damage.
An Apple audit found violations of its ‘Supplier Code of Conduct’ at the plant.
Separately, Wistron said it was working hard to raise standards and fix issues at the factory. It said it had paid all workers and introduced new hiring and payroll systems.
“We are looking forward to restarting our operations and welcoming back team members,” Wistron said, without giving a timeline.
Neither Apple nor Wistron said when iPhone production would resume at the plant, but three government officials, who declined to be named as they are not authorised to speak to the media, told Reuters operations could begin as early as next week.
Wistron would gradually ramp up production at the factory over the next few weeks, two of the sources said.
Apple began the assembly of its first iPhone model in India via Wistron in 2017. It has since expanded manufacturing with Foxconn in southern India while another top supplier Pegatron is set to begin local operations.